The God's Warning
by Walking in Little Circles
Summary: When a god warns Camp Jupiter of a dangerous enemy, Octavian and his two best friends go on a quest to destroy the enemy. Prequel to The Son of Neptune.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Octavian shivered. It was very cold in Minnesota, and Octavian was getting very tired. The First legion had been marching for over half the day at least. He was hoping ether one of legion's centurions Helena or Remus, one of his best friends, would call a break. He was very hungry. The fish his best friend Marco had managed to catch yesterday were all gone, and the food that they had taken from camp was almost gone. Maybe they would come to a river soon.

"Company, HALT!" commanded Helena.

Octavian sighed with relief. Finally, a rest. _About time_, he thought, _my feet are about to fall off_.

"Food break!" Remus yelled. " Marco, can you catch us some fish?"

Marco, a boy with black hair and green eyes walked over to the lake. He walked over to the lake that was in front of the legion. With a simple wave of his hand, he managed to make a hole in the ice. A stream of water erupted from the whole. Three seconds later, a pile of fish landed on the ground in front of him.

"Helena, can you make us a fire?" asked Remus.

"I need some wood, though," she replied. " Do I have any volunteers to help me get some?"

After Helena and the volunteers left, Remus took a long look at the lake. " We are going to have to cross the lake," he said. "But for now, let's polish our weapons so we will be ready to face the giant army tomorrow."

The giant army was a huge army of giants(duh), and the reason the first legion was in Minnesota in the first place. Vulcan, god of the forges and fire, had warned Camp Jupiter that if the army was not destroyed in Minnesota, there would be trouble for all. Thus, the First legion, among the best in Camp Jupiter, went to Minnesota.

Octavian sat down to polish his weapon, a bow and several arrows. He could see Marco, Remus, and a small boy with light brown hair and soft blue eyes coming towards him. He wondered who the third boy was.

"Octavian, this is my little brother, Ceaser. Ceaser, this is Octavian."

The boy gave a nervous wave and a shy smile. "Hi," he murmured, almost to low for Octavian to hear.

"Are you a new recruit?" asked Octavian.

"Yes," Ceaser replied.

" By brother, did Remus mean you share the same mom as well?" asked Marco.

Ceaser nodded. "Yeah, we do."

All of the sudden, there was a loud boom. Everyone jumped in shock.

"Is that the giant army Remus?" asked Ceaser.

"Can't be," muttered Remus, " It can't be."

A streaking ball of fire suddenly streaked across the sky towards the army. Everyone ducked out of the way and ran. " Everybody get ready to fight!" yelled Remus. "Are we all in formation now? Okay then, charge!"

Everybody charged, but there was one problem. The ice was to thin to hold both armies, so it cracked, and everyone fell in the water. Octavian swam to the nearest patch of ice.

"Yes!" cheered Marco. " Now the giant army will drown!"

" Uh, Marco," Octavian said, " You might want to look again."

Marco gasped. " AH!"

The giant army was wading across the lake.

" Everybody swim to the shore! Hurry... AH!" yelled Remus.

A giant squid was attacking the fleeing campers. Its long tentacles were grabbing everyone in sight and were trying to strangle everyone.

"What do we do now?" asked Octavian. "Are we all going to die?"

"Remus, do something!" yelled Marco.

"Squids in Minnesota? That's impossible!" said Remus in disbelief.

" REMUS!" screamed Ceaser. "HELP!"

Octavian turned and gasped. Ceaser was being strangled by one of the tentacles! On instinct, he quickly knocked an arrow, which was very difficult to pull of while in the water. However, upon closer inspection, he could see that it was impossible to shoot a tentacle without injuring someone. The situation was turning foul fast. In fact, a tentacle was coming straight at him! "AH!" he yelled.

Remus' eyes widened in terror as he drew his sword. Octavian had no idea about what Remus was thinking, but he hoped it would work, and work fast. Octavian tried not to black out, but after a few minutes, he couldn't stay conscious any longer. Octavian fell unconscious as Remus and Marco were charging towards the squid.

Octavian didn't know how long he was out, but he woke up with a pounding pain in his side. He knew something was wrong as soon as he heard the voices.

"Poor Ceaser."

" To lose his brother at such a long age..."

" Does he know yet?"

" Yes, he does."

" Does the rest of Camp Jupiter know?"

" Yes, it was announced at dinner last night."

Octavian opened his eyes. He was at the infirmary at Camp Jupiter. He instantly recognized the two healers. Their names were Mikey Flynn and John Eagan. "What happened?" asked Octavian.

John looked Octavian in the eye, making him feel very nervous. " The giant army is dead, as well as the squid, but..."

" Remus is dead," Mikey interrupted, " He drowned. Nobody else died."

Octavian looked at John for an explanation.

John took a deep breath. " Octavian, Remus sacrificed his life for the First Legion. His spirit rests with Elysium now."

Octavian sank into the mattress in despair. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't be.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: In which Octavian makes an enemy

One year later...

It was dinner time, and Octavian was grateful for it. He had had a very bad day. He had almost been run over by one of Helena's newest inventions, " The Super Speedy War Kart." It was supposed to be used as a sort of battering ram with a huge pointed end on it. However, the Kart had a mind of it's own and had decided to go on a rampage. Then, it entered the Pomerian line and almost destroyed the senate house. In the end, Reyna, one of the newest campers at Camp Jupiter, had managed to destroy it with a spear. She had also been claimed by her godly parent, Bellona, the goddess of war. Thus, she had been taken of _probatio_ and given her first stripe.

She had gone around boasting this at lunch time earlier that day, making Octavian more aware than ever that he wasn't a true son of Apollo. His father had been a son of Apollo, and his mother had been a daughter of Minerva, goddess of wisdom, thus making him half and half. He was also jealous that Reyna hadn't had to wait as long as he had to get his first stripe. _At least she isn't in the First Legion,_ he thought, _she's in the Fifth Legion. _He scowled over his salad. _I hope she doesn't come over here_, he thought. As if Reyna had magically heard his thoughts, she came over to boast.

"Look at this!" she boasted, showing off her tattoo. " I'm off _probatio_!"

" Good for you, so am I!" Octavian muttered.

Reyna ignored him and sat down next to Ceaser, who was drinking grape juice at the speed of light. Ceaser barely noticed her. " So, Octavian, how long did you have to wait to get off of _probatio_?"

" None of your beeswax, Reyna," Octavian retorted.

Reyna rolled her eyes and turned to Marco. "How long did it take you Marco?"

Marco sighed. " Longer than you," he admitted.

Reyna smirked. " I knew it! I hold the record for the shortest time on _probatio _ever!"

Suddenly, Octavian had an idea. "Say, Reyna, I bet you can't stand up faster than me."

"You're on!" said Reyna. She then stood up very quickly, and got hit in the back of the head by a bowl of spaghetti. " You're going to pay for that, Octavian!" yelled Reyna as she stormed away.

Octavian grinned. He had gotten his revenge.

"You know, Octavian, you shouldn't have done that," pointed out Ceaser. " Now she can get you back."

And she did, during archery. Octavian had been looking forward to it today because Helena had made a brand new type of arrow. It was called, " The Fire Arrow." It was supposed to burn the instant it came in touch with the target. However, the effect was activated as soon as it was knocked, so you had to be very careful with it. Octavian was looking forward to finding out what the arrow would do. Helena was putting on some finishing touches, so the archery class was occupying themselves with normal target shooting.

" Ready, aim, FIRE!" yelled Shaun, the best archer in Camp Jupiter.

Fourteen arrows fired at the targets. Thirteen of them were bullseys. The fourteenth arrow was Octavian's. It just barely fell short of the center.

"Maybe next time, Octavian," John encouraged.

" And I'll wake up with purple hair," muttered Octavian.

"Ready, aim, FIRE!"

Octavian was just to shoot when someone yelled " HEY TAVI!"

Octavian was so surprised, he accidentally let the arrow slip. " OW! OwowowowowowowowoOW!"

John ran over to were Octavian was, holding his hand and jumping up and down. " Let's see, doesn't look like it's bleeding. Just a scratch. Shake it off Octavian."

"Nice shot, Tavi," said the same voice.

Octavian turned around. It was Reyna! He was so mad, he wanted to punch her. " It was going to be a nice shot, until you ruined it!"

"Octavian, you shouldn't blame Reyna for something that wasn't her fault." Shaun scolded.

" But it was her fault!" Octavian yelled.

" It was your fault, Octavian. You know a true son of Apollo doesn't let himself get distracted." said Shaun.

It was the wrong thing to say. Octavian launched himself onto Shaun. In about three seconds, the two were full-out fighting, punching each other and saying very nasty things which I will not describe. Finally, Mikey and John managed to pull them apart. Shaun had a bloody nose and so did Octavian, who was also seeing double. Octavian was taken to the infirmary to make sure he didn't have a head concussion. Around dinner, Mikey had deemed him fit to go and to participate in the war games later that evening. At dinner, Octavian told his friends about Reyna and the fight with Shaun.

"Wait a minute," Ceaser said, " You fought Shaun, who is three years older than you and twice your size?"

Octavian nodded.

"I don't blame him," Marco said. " I would do the same thing in his position."

" You know what bugs me," said Octavian, " Is that Reyna got away with it."

Marco bit his lip. " Although Shaun had no right to say those things about you, he was right about the fact it wasn't Reyna's fault."

Octavian scowled. " Ceaser, do you agree with Marco?"

Ceaser took a long sip of grape juice before replying, "I told you she would do something to get back at you."

Octavian ignored him. He spotted Reyna at a table not that far away. " I have an idea," he said. He walked over to Reyna's table.

" What do you want, Tavi?" Reyna asked.

" Why are you calling me Tavi?" asked Octavian.

"Because I can," she retorted, " Now what do you want?"

"Oh, just wanted to wish the Fifth Legion luck," answered Octavian. " Hope you don't lose to badly."

" Is that a challenge?" asked Reyna.

" You bet it is," said Octavian.

" Fine then," answered Reyna, " The First Legion will fall to the Fifth Legion!"

" Just try," answered Octavian. " Just try."

Octavian walked back to his table.

" Alright, what did you do?" asked Ceaser.

Octavian told him.

" There is only one thing to do then," said Marco, " Win."

" I was already planing on it," responded Octavian.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: The War Games

Octavian finished polishing his last arrow. He was ready to win.

" I'm ready to win!" he announced to Marco and Cesar, who were also his roommates.

" Octavian, you're not at the center of the universe," Cesar scolded, " The entire First Legion wants to win as well."

If looks could kill, Octavian would have burned the whole camp down with the one he gave Cesar.

"We should leave now if we want to make it on time," Marco pointed out.

When Octavian and his friends arrived at the fort of the First Legion, they noticed something very strange. First, the fort was not as glamorous as usual and seemed to be very small. Second, there were only ten campers total surrounding the fort.

"Hey, where is everyone?" asked Marco.

Levi, the centurion who took the place of Remus, was looking quite grim. " You see," he explained, " Remember when Helena's kart went crazy?"

" Yes I do," Octavian said, " I was almost run over by it."

Levi glanced over at Helena, " Do you want me to tell, or do want to do the honors?"

Helena took a deep breath and said, " Well, my invention ran over a bunch of people, most of them from the First Legion..."

"WHAT?" yelled Octavian.

" Did anybody get seriously hurt?" asked Cesar.

" No worries, no one is seriously hurt. Just mostly broken bones. With nectar and ambrosia, they should be fine in a day or two," said Levi.

"We are so dead," muttered Marco.

" You have a plan, right Levi?" asked Cesar.

Levi shook his head. " Sorry, but Marco is right. We are so screwed."

Octavian frowned. He didn't think they were screwed. " I have an idea," he announced, glancing over at Cesar.

" Aw no," moaned Cesar.

Soon, the War Games were ready to begin. With Shaun refereeing, Octavian was feeling very confident that no one was going to even try to break the rules. Despite Octavian's strong dislike of him, he knew Shaun was a fair referee, and had very sharp eyes. As long as his plan worked, things would go fine.

"Alright!" yelled Shaun, " I want a clean game, no breaking the rules, okay? Alright, you may begin."

As Octavian predicted, everyone went for the First Legion's fort. _Perfect_, he thought, _all according to my plan_. Meanwhile, Cesar slipped away to go take a Legion's unguarded flag. Octavian knew that there was a high chance that at least one Legion would not bother to leave their fort guarded.

Only one part of his plan required him. _Any minute now..._ he thought. Soon, people were within range for his bow. Octavian quickly knocked an arrow and fired at the designated spot. A patch of ice grew from where the bow stuck in the ground, causing demigods to slip and fall and cause a huge pile-up.

" AH!" yelled Cesar. The Third Legion had decided Cesar was a big enough threat to shoot at.

_Good thing I have a back-up plan_, thought Octavian. Just as he thought about this, Helena shot a huge ball of fire at the Third legion, causing them to scatter. Octavian knew the Third Legion was mostly made up of the children of Apollo, and that this would mean they would be terrible at close-range fighting, making getting the flag a piece of cake for Cesar.

" I got the flag!" Cesar yelled.

However, just as The First Legion was going over to congratulate Cesar, a messenger ran up. His face was extremely pale.

"HELLHOUNDS!" yelled the messenger, " HELLHOUNDS AT THE FRONT GATE!" 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Camp Jupiter VRS. A ton of Hell hounds

The effect on the camp was instant. Shaun and Helena instantly started to give out orders. Campers ran to the gates, weapons drawn. Octavian ran up the stairs to the archer's post, feeling very nervous. He had some very bad experiences with monsters. It seemed like they were always killed someone he knew. Octavian winced, remembering Remus's death. After he had woken up, the camp had the funeral surface at the temple of Jupiter. It felt like the funeral of his dad.

Octavian shock his head. He couldn't have his head in the past, at least not now. He had a task to do. He reached the top of the tower and saw the hugest group of Hell hounds he had ever seen in his lifetime. There were about twenty of them. He nervously knocked an arrow.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" yelled Shaun.

" How come?" asked Mikey.

" Look for yourself ," said Shaun.

Octavian looked. He thought he could just barely make out a girl and a boy, desperately fighting for their lives. The girl had blonde hair with dark brown streaks in it. The boy had wavy black hair.

" So, we leave it to those fighting on the ground?" John asked.

" For now," said Shaun.

Octavian looked at the battle. He could see Cesar, Helena, Levi, and the rest of the camp charging the Hell hounds. However, there was one person missing. Marco.

"Shaun, do you see Marco down there?" he asked.

Shaun glanced down, than shock his head. " No I don't."

"AGH!" someone yelled.

Octavian looked in the direction of the noise. The boy's foot was in the Hell hound's mouth. He also noticed that most of the Hell hounds were still mostly surrounding the two demigods. Octavian had an idea. It all depended on the nature of those new arrows.

" Shaun," Octavian said, " Do you know how the fire arrows work?"

Shaun shock his head. " I was sentenced to cleaning armor after I fought you. I never got to test them out. But I'm sure John knows."

" John, how do the fire arrows work?" Octavian asked.

" Just like Helena said they would, which is rare. Except for one thing. The arrows let out a trail of smoke whenever they are released."

" Do we have any on hand?" asked Octavian.

" I think I have a few," replied John.

" Can I have one?" asked Octavian.

John gave Octavian an arrow. Octavian took aim and fired through the ranks of the Hell hounds, causing them to scatter. " Good idea," commented Shaun.

All of the sudden, a long howl filled the air as at least fifty more Hell hounds joined the fight.

" Phooey," muttered Shaun. " Do you have any more ideas, Octavian?"

"No," said Octavian. "I'm honored that you asked, though."

" Hey, can you guys get out of the way?" a voice asked.

Octavian turned around to see Marco. " What are you going to do?" asked Shaun.

" You'll see," said Marco. With that, he walked forward until he was right next to were Octavian stood. He lifted his hands.

Octavian knew what he was going to do. " Marco, no!" he yelled. " It isn't worth it!"

" Octavian, this is my choice. Don't try to stop me."

Octavian stepped back, out of Marco's way. Marco lift his hands. When he did, the entire River Tiber rose up.

" What?" John said, confused. " You're a son of Mercury, right? You shouldn't be able to do that."

Marco glanced over at John, " I'm a son of Neptune, not Mercury. I've kept it a secret from everyone except the Senate and the First Legion."

Marco took a deep breath and pushed the water forward. The Hell hounds were washed away by the wave. The entire camp turned around to stare at Marco.

" You're a son of Neptune?" someone asked.

Marco nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: The two demigods

Octavian was shocked that Marco would reveal his secret in the way he did. Marco was usually ashamed of his father and rarely made reference to him. But for Marco to do what he did, he must have thought winning would be impossible otherwise.

Octavian turned to the archers, who were gawking at Marco. " Well?" he said, " Don't you guys have things to do on the battle field, such as heal injured people?"

Shaun broke his gaze from Marco first. " You're right, of course. Do you want to help?"

Octavian shrugged. " I guess."

John turned to Octavian and Shaun. " Because the two of you aren't the most experienced healers, if there are any major injuries, just tell me or Mikey, okay?"

They nodded. With that,everyone headed down to the battle field.

Octavian was shocked at the number of injured campers. The last time he had seen so many was when a pack of monsters had invaded Camp Jupiter when he was five. That was the day... Octavian couldn't let himself dwell on it now. Not when he was needed. He took a quick scan of the field to see who needed him the most and what he was dealing with. He saw the girl and the boy again in the distance. He decided to go help them. After all, the boy's foot had been bitten by the Hell hound and needed to be looked at.

When he saw the girl, he found himself blushing. _Gods, she's beautiful,_he thought. Then he saw the boy's foot. It looked painful.

"Let me tend your foot," he said to the boy.

The boy sat down to let Octavian see. It looked pretty bad, but still manageable. Octavian took out some bandages and nectar from the first aid kit John had given him. He pored water over the wound first. The boy winced, but didn't cry out. Then, he poured nectar over the wound and bandaged it up.

" There we go," said Octavian, " You might want to get it looked over by John or Mikey, just in case it needs stitches or something."

" It feels much better," said the boy, " Thank you,"

" My name is Nalla," said the girl, " And this is Dakota. Is this Camp Jupiter?"

_Nalla, _Octavian thought, _even her name is beautiful. _

" Did you hear my question?" Nalla asked.

Octavian blushed. " Yeah... You're at Camp Jupiter."

" Good," said Nalla, " After all of those monsters we had to fight, I was starting to think we'd never get here."

" Is Dakota your brother?" Octavian asked.

" No, Dakota is my neighbor," Nalla answered. " We've been friends since childhood."

" Need any help, Octavian?" John asked.

" No, but you might need to take a look at Dakota's foot later."

"Okay," said John. He turned around and left.

Nalla and Dakota were having a late dinner because they had not eaten for a while. Octavian wanted to talk to Nalla more, but Shaun had sent him to bed. " You can talk to them in the morning Octavian. Get to bed!"

So Octavian went to bed and nearly got impaled by a pillow.

" Sorry Octavian," said Marco, " Guess I got a little mad."

" I tried to stop you," pointed out Octavian.

" I know, I know. The only thing is that I'm being called a liar now. I can take the stares, the dirty looks, even people being afraid of me. But I can't take being called a liar!"

" You did lie about being a son of Mercury, you know," said Cesar.

" But... forget it," muttered Marco, " Maybe I am a liar."

Octavian and Cesar had no idea what to say to that, so they quit talking to him and got in bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: The New centurion

The next morning, Octavian woke up and noticed Marco was gone. " Hey Cesar, do you know were Marco is?" he asked.

Cesar shrugged. " I don't know. He probably is already at breakfast."

" Okay," said Octavian. " We should head down there now."

When Octavian and Cesar reached the dining hall, there was still no sign of Marco. However, gossip was flying all over about Marco.

" I understand why he doesn't want to be here," Cesar said.

Octavian nodded. He then spotted his cousin, Cynthia, at a table with Dakota and Nalla, as well as Gwen. " Hey, Cynthia," he said, sitting down next to her.

Cynthia brightened. " Hey Octavian! How's my favorite cousin?"

" Good," said Octavian, "Have you seen Marco?"

"Not since yesterday," said Cynthia, " He was pretty upset about being called a liar. I guess he just wanted a break from people for a little while."

" What I don't get is why everyone is so mean to him now!" burst out Nalla, " He saved Camp Jupiter last night! Why can't people just leave him alone?"

" Good question," said Octavian. He then saw Dakota's foot. " How's your foot, Dakota?"

" It didn't need stitches," said Dakota.

Gwen smiled. " That's good. By the way, do you two have letters of recommendation?"

Nalla and Dakota just stared at Gwen like she was crazy.

" Okay, I guess not. I'm sure someone will stand for you two," said Gwen.

Octavian cleared his throat. " Gwen, a camper can only stand for one camper at a time."

" You know what I mean," said Gwen.

" Okay," said Nalla, " So everyone here is a son or daughter of a god or goddess?"

" No," said Cynthia, " Octavian and I are from a very long line of demigods descended from Minerva, goddess of wisdom."

" Really, cool!" said Dakota, " How long?"

" A few centuries," said Cynthia.

" Wow," said Dakota, " That's a long time!"

" That's really cool!" said Nalla, " So, are any of you guys sons of daughters of the actual gods or goddesses?"

" I'm a daughter of Ceres," said Gwen.

" I'm a son of Bacchus," said Cesar, who was looking at Dakota very closely.

"What?" asked Dakota. " Why are you looking at me like that?"

" You look so much like...Remus," answered Cesar.

"Who's Remus?" asked Dakota.

" My older brother," said Cesar. " He died a year ago."

"Oh..." said Dakota. " I'm sorry,"

" It's okay," said Cesar.

Breakfast started to arrive. Cesar had a glass of grape juice with french toast. Octavian had pancakes with syrup. Gwen had a salad. Nalla had a waffle. Dakota had red Kool-Aid with cereal.

Cesar stared at the red Kool-Aid. "Remus loved red Kool-Aid..." he murmured.

" This is red Kool-Aid?" said Dakota, " I hate red Kool-Aid."

Cesar took a sip of Dakota's Kool-Aid. " Try adding sugar," he suggested.

"My mother never let me near sugar," said Dakota, " She says it's bad for your teeth."

" Too much, and yes it is, but a little bit wouldn't hurt," said Cesar. " Ether you had an extremely paranoid mother, or she knew what would happen if you had to much."

Octavian's eyes widened. "Are you sure, Cesar?"

" Put some sugar in your Kool-Aid," Cesar told Dakota.

Dakota did as he was asked and tasted the red Kool-Aid again. His face broke into a grin. "Yummy!" he said as he added more sugar.

Cesar smiled. " I think he's a son of Bacchus," he said.

" And Bacchus is..." asked Nalla.

" The wine god," replied Cesar with a smile.

Nalla stared. " What would happen if you actually gave him..."

" He would go nuts," said Cesar.

" Oh..." said Nalla.

After dinner, everyone prepared for morning muster. Even Marco showed up, although his face said, " Leave me alone, Okay?"

" Aright," said Shaun. " First off, Reyna and Gwen will be on sentry duty this morning. Octavian will have it this afternoon with a camper of his choosing."

Octavian smiled. He knew just who to pick.

" Second," Shaun continued, " Our auger, Zane, wants some volunteers to help him gather more stuffed animals. In the unlikely event you want to volunteer, see him at the temple of Apollo. And finally, I believe you have an announcement to make, Helena?"

Helena took Shaun's place at the front of the centurions. " I am retiring," she announced.

There was a great amount of talk at this. Helena was a centurion and a praetor. Her retiring left both spots open.

Helena took a deep breath and said, " As the praetor of Rome, I have the right to appoint a replacement for both positions. The replacement praetor of Rome shall be Cynthia from the Fifth Legion. As for the new centurion... Marco shall take my place."

There was a great deal of protest at this from the other four legions.

" But he's a son of Neptune!" protested Reyna.

" He lied to the whole camp!" yelled John.

" SILENCE!" roared Helena, " I CAN APPOINT WHOMEVER I WANT!" her hands caught on fire as she spoke.

Everyone fell silent. " Marco, Cynthia, you need to come to a Senate meting after this, okay?" said Helena.

They both nodded.

" See you there," said Helena.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Six: Just a normal day ( for the most part...)

Octavian stared at Marco. His eyes were widened in shock. Octavian didn't blame him. He was surprised at Helena's decision as well.

Levi took Helena's place at the head of the centurions. " As the most senior centurion here, I will now assign a legion to our two new recruits. Do ether of you have letters of recommendation?"

" No," said Nalla.

" Nope," said Dakota.

" Okay then, does anybody want to stand for the new recruits?" asked Levi.

" I will stand for Nalla," said Octavian.

" Alright, you can do that," said Levi. " Does anyone want to stand for Dakota?"

One minute passed. Then two minutes passed.

" Why isn't anybody standing for Dakota?" asked Nalla.

" Standing for someone is risky," said Marco, " Because if that person were to cause trouble, then the person who stood for the other person would get killed."

" Oh..." said Nalla, " Is that why you aren't standing for him?"

" Umm..." stammered Marco. " It's more complicated than that..."

Five minutes. Six minutes. Ten minutes later, Levi began to speak again.

" If no one wishes to stand for Dakota, than we will have to throw him out," he said.

" What!" said Nalla. "Are you serious?"

Cesar took a deep breath and said, " I will stand for him!"

Several snickers broke out. " I'm sorry Cesar, but you're still on _probatio. _You can't stand for another camper until you earn your first stripe," Levi reminded him.

" Unfair!" yelled Cesar, " I'm off _ probatio_ tomorrow! Are we going to throw Dakota out because he had bad timing?"

" Err... yes," said Levi, " I didn't make the rules, you know."

" I agree with Cesar!" yelled Gwen. " That is so unfair! I will stand for him, if no one else will."

" Okay... you can do that." said Levi.

Gwen gave a huff. " I better be able to."

" Anyway, morning muster is over. Good day to you all! May you all be alive for dinner!" concluded Shaun.

Several people snickered.

"So, your going to teach me how to fight?" asked Nalla.

" Yes," said Octavian. " Today, I will show you how to shoot a bow and use a knife."

" What if I fail at both of those?" asked Nalla.

" Then I get Marco to show you sword fighting."

" Why didn't Marco stand for Dakota this morning?" asked Nalla.

" He stood for someone, once," said Octavian. " A daughter of Pluto."

" Who's Pluto?" asked Nalla.

" The god of the dead," said Octavian. " And riches."

" What happened to her?" asked Nalla.

" Well, she got off _probatio _and went on a quest. Marco had a crush on her, so he asked if she could be his girl friend. She said yes, and they shared one kiss before,well..."

" She never came back," guessed Nalla.

Octavian nodded. " Anyway, want to see how good I am with a bow?"

" Sure," said Nalla.

Octavian took a deep breath and prayed to Apollo. " Come on, a bullseye, just this once?"

His arrow just barely fell short. " Aw..." muttered Octavian.

"Aw?" said Nalla. " That was the best display of archery I've ever seen!"

Octavian felt his cheeks turn red. " Thanks..." he mumbled, to embarrassed to say anything.

"Can I try ?" asked Nalla.

Octavian handed her the bow. She knocked an arrow and let it fly. It got stuck in the ground.

" You make it look easy," complained Nalla.

" You should see my aunts and uncles," said Octavian. " Now they _really_ make it look easy,"

Nalla laughed. " Can I try a knife now?"

Even after several tries, it was obvious that Nalla was not made for a knife or a bow.

" I'll get Marco to teach you how to use a sword," said Octavian.

Nalla scowled. " Why can't you teach me?"

" Because I fail at using a sword," said Octavian. " And besides, it's lunchtime, and I have to take sentry duty this afternoon."

" Who are you going to do it with?" asked Nalla.

" You'll see," said Octavian.

For lunch, Octavian had a ham sandwich. The ham looked appetizing today.

" So Octavian, have you chosen who your going to do sentry duty with?" asked Cesar.

" I was going to ask you," said Octavian.

" Okay," said Cesar.

Octavian and Cesar stood out at the sentry post, chattering about cheese.

" Do you think the moon is really made out of cheese?" asked Cesar.

Octavian rolled his eyes. " The moon is NOT made out of cheese. It has been scientificly proven!"

" Okay," said Cesar. " Do you think the Earth is made out of cheese?"

Before Octavian could punch Cesar, he saw a figure out in the fog. " Cesar, look!"

Cesar looked. " I think it's a hellhound!"

Indeed it was. Octavian could see its long tongue from where he was.

" Do you think we can take it?" asked Cesar.

" There may be more. We might need help. Go get some," said Octavian, drawing his knife.

Cesar ran away to get help. Octavian took a deep breath. The hellhound was drawing closer and closer...

BAM! Suddenly, it was on top of him, trying to eat his face.

**Okay, I have two requests. One, please review! Two, I have a poll on favorite for my story on my profile. Please check it out!**

** I also want to thank those who have stuck with my story for this long. And I want to thank those who have reviewed as well. **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: The quest

It smelled really bad. That was the only clear thought in Octavian's head. Everything else was absolute panic and chaos. He wasn't sure how long he could hold the hellhound off of him much longer. He couldn't even draw his knife. _No, _he thought, _I'm only 14, I don't want to die, no,no, no. _The jaws of the hellhound were getting closer and closer. Octavian's arms were getting tired. _NO! I don't want to die!_

" Bad dog!" yelled a voice.

Octavian saw a spear hit straight between the hellhound's eyes. He scooted as far back as he could. His thighs burned from where they had been scraped. He saw Reyna and Dakota charging the hellhound. _Reyna must have thrown that spear, _thought Octavian.

Dakota slipped behind the hellhound and aimed a powerful slash. The hellhound howled in agony. Reyna removed her spear as Dakota made the final blow. The hellhound disappeared into a cloud of dust.

" Yeah!" yelled Dakota. " That was awesome!"

" A...awesome?" asked Octavian. " I could have died!"

" You okay, Tavi?" asked Reyna.

" Yeah. That was some awesome fighting," said Octavian.

Reyna gave him a funny look. " Did you just give me a...?"

" For someone who lost the war games last night," Octavian added hastily.

Reyna rolled her eyes. " Gee, Octavian! A thank you, maybe?"

" Yeah... thanks," said Octavian.

" Oh! Who is that?" asked Dakota, pointing at a shape in the distance.

Octavian shot an arrow at the figure. The arrow turned into dust.

" Wait, the only person who could do that would be a god, right?" asked Octavian.

" Yeah. You better run now," said Reyna.

Octavian stood up and stumbled away, his thighs still sore. He ran into Cesar. " Ow..."

"Octavian, is the hellhound right behind you?" asked Shaun, bow knocked and ready.

" No, but an angry god is!" said Octavian.

" WHAT!" yelled Shaun.

" Chill out," said Cesar. " I think it's my dad."

" Bacchus?" asked Shaun.

" No, Pluto. Yes, of course I mean Bacchus!" said Cesar.

" What makes you so sure?" asked Octavian.

"I can smell him," said Cesar.

" Okay..." said Shaun. " You must really have a good sense of smell."

Bacchus walked up to the front gates, Reyna and Dakota close behind him.

" Bacchus," said Marco, bowing down to the god. The rest of camp quickly followed his example, except Dakota, who couldn't stop starring at Bacchus.

" Okay, now who shot that arrow at me?" asked Bacchus.

Octavian quickly stood up. " I am sorry, lord Bacchus, god of wine! I am not worthy! Please don't smite me where I stand! Please don't..."

" I get the point," said Bacchus. " I don't blame you, after being attacked by a hellhound. I would be a little defensive in your shoes as well."

" About that hellhound, did you summon it?" asked Cynthia.

" WHAT!" yelled Bacchus. " YOU DARE ACCUSE ME OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"

" Uh... no. Not at all!" said Cynthia. " It's just that I find it weird that it showed up about the same time as you!"  
" I PREDICTED THIS!" yelled a voice.

Everyone groaned. It was Zane, the unpopular augur of Camp Jupiter.

" I KNEW HE WAS COMING!" continued Zane. " I TOLD YOU, SHAUN! AND YOU JUST SAID I WAS MOST LIKELY WRONG! JUST BECAUSE I'M BLIND DOSEN'T MEAN I'M ALWAYS..." at this point, Zane ran into a tree. " Ow..." he muttered.

" Zane, you don't need to yell," said Shaun. " And there is no need to boast about being right. By the way, Bacchus, what brings you here today?"

" I order a quest!" yelled Bacchus.

" Okay, but what is the quest about?" asked Cynthia.

" I thought I mentioned that... oh well," said Bacchus. " I shall explain it a second time! Two monsters, Scylla and Charybdis, have reformed in the Zumbro river."

" Zumbro?" asked Cesar. " That's over by where I live!"

" Yes, it is." said Bacchus. " Anyways, Neptune would take care of these monsters, but he... has other pressing matters concerning him at the moment. Thus, he leaves the matter to his son, Marco."

" Me?" asked Marco.

" Yes, what other son of the sea god is there?" asked Bacchus.

" Well, there is..."

" I'm talking about DEMIGOD children, Zane."

" Oh," said Zane. " Well..."

" ANYWAYS," said Bacchus, cutting Zane off, " You shall go to the Zumbro river and kill these two monsters. Take with you whomever you wish. Any questions?"

" Uh... where is the Zumbro river?" asked Marco.

" Minnesota," responded Bacchus.

" I thought that sounded familiar..." moaned Marco.

Octavian gave Marco a look of pity. Minnesota had been a source of bad memories, ever since Remus had died there around the winter solstice last year. Come to think of it, the river he died at was called the Zumbro river.

"Wait a minute," said Octavian. " That's were Remus died!"

" Yes," said Bacchus, his face darkening. " In fact, it was Scylla who killed Remus."

" Wait a minute! I was told it was a squid!" said Shaun.

" Scylla could be mistaken for a squid. It has multiple tentacles, after all," said Bacchus. " Anyway, I believe it is time for me to go."

" Aren't you forgetting something?" asked Cesar.

" What am I forgetting?" asked Bacchus.

" You need to claim a certain child of yours," said Cesar.

" But I already claimed you," said Bacchus.

" I'm not talking about me," said Cesar.

" Remus?" asked Bacchus.

" No," said Cesar. " Your third child."

" Oh, you mean Dakota!" said Bacchus. " Sure thing!"

Instantly, the sign of Bacchus, a bundle of grapes, shone over Dakota's head. " Wow, shinny purple stuff!" exclaimed Dakota.

After claiming Dakota, Bacchus turned on his heel and disappeared.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8: Time to go.

Octavian dodged another blow from Nalla's sword. "Wow, Nalla. Marco taught you well. You're tough to beat."

"Why thank you," said Nalla. Octavian hit Nalla with his knife while she was glowing in his praise.

"No fair!" exclaimed Nalla.

"The first rule I learned at camp: Never let your guard down," said Octavian.

"Maybe you could count that as a win for me, just to be nice," suggested Nalla.

On a normal basis, Octavian would have said no. He was just about to do so when he felt a tingly sensation around his mouth. "Fine, just this once," he said grudgingly.

"Yes!" said Nalla. "I win!"

"Because I let you off," said Octavian.

"Hey Octavian? Do you know how quickly a demigod usually gets claimed?" she asked.

"Well, it usually is around a year or two, or sometimes sooner. It doesn't happen all the time, though," he answered.

"You mean some demigods never get claimed at all?" asked Nalla.

"Nope," said Octavian. "The gods don't always have time for us."

"That's not right," said Nalla. "They should behave better."

"Yes, you are right," said Octavian. _That's odd. _He thought. _Did I even think about it? That's not like me at all. _

"Octavian," Marco called. "It's time for the senate meeting."

The senate room was filled with people. Octavian spotted his uncle and Helena instantly. His uncle gave him a wave. Octavian nervously fidgeted with his purple toga. It brought back bad memories of his dad's funeral.

It had been about nine years ago. Camp Jupiter had been attacked by a lot of monsters at the same time, and the magical borders had failed. Octavian, his father, his cousin Cynthia, and his aunt Tara and his uncle Ben were having Christmas dinner. All of the sudden, bells began clanging. Being five, he had not understood exactly what was going on, but his father leaped out of his chair, leaving his dinner unfinished.

Shaun ran by, yelling. "Danger, danger! We're being attacked! To arms, to arms!"

"Octavian, hide under the table with Cynthia!" yelled his father.

"But..."

"Octavian, _now_!" his father bellowed.

After four hours of hiding under the table, his uncle came back.

"Mom?" asked Cynthia.

Uncle Ben shook his head.

Cynthia stepped back, still not getting it. Octavian understood though. He was afraid to ask, but he took a deep breath and said, "Is my dad okay?"

"I'm sorry, Octavian..."

"DID YOU HEAR MY QUESTION!"

Octavian jumped back into reality.

"I said, Octavian, do you accept the quest?" said Cynthia with a frown.

"Um... of c-c-course I do! I-I-I am honored!" he stuttered.  
"Okay then!" said Shaun. "So we will give Octavian some spare arrows, you guys some money, and some food! Sound good?"

"I am fine with that," said Marco. "Oh, and a road map would be nice as well."

"Are their any objections?" asked Shaun. The senate remained silent.

"The thoughts of the whole senate go with you," said Levi. "Godspeed!"

"Godspeed?" said Shaun. "No one has used that term in years!"

"Anyways," said Cynthia. "You guys should pack, eat a good breakfast, and leave before the sentry change."

"Thank you, Cynthia," said Marco. "I will do what you suggested."

Octavian did a final check of his backpack. Nectar and ambrosia, check. Granola bars, check. Clothes, check. Notebook and pen, check. He took out a picture of his family, before he was born. His mother had long blonde hair and had a slight bulge at her belly, which would be Octavian. His father's blue eyes glinted with laughter, as if he was saying, _Let's forget that we could die at any minute and PARTY! _His aunt looked just like his mom, which wasn't surprising, considering they were twins. His uncle had dark brown hair and green eyes, and a serious look on his face. He was told that his aunt used to joke that his uncle was a huge pessimist, which wasn't true. He was actually very funny, once you got to know him. Of course, now...

"Hey, Tavi." It was Reyna. "What's that a picture of ?"

"Nothing," said Octavian, hiding the picture in his pocket. "What do you want?"

"Well, I found this," said Reyna, handing him an envelope. "Strange, don't you think?"

Octavian looked at the letter. It was addressed to Nalla. "Well, shouldn't we give it to her?"

"The thing is, Octavian, is that I found it just laying in the middle of the field of Mars. It was unopened, well, at least until I opened it..." said Reyna, blushing.

"You opened it?" asked Octavian.

"Well, it looked suspicious..." said Reyna. "You should take a look at it sometime. By the way, Nalla has no family. You should know that before you read."

"Why..." Octavian started before he was interrupted by Nalla herself walking in.

"Reyna, can I speak to Octavian alone, please?" she asked Reyna.

Reyna gave Nalla a killer look, but she said, "Sure."

"Have you been arguing with Reyna or something?" asked Octavian.

"We haven't been arguing Octavian. It's way to complicated for a boy to understand," said Nalla. Before Octavian could protest, she said, "I have something for you."

"What is it?" he asked.

Nalla handed him a brown package. "Open it," she said.

Octavian tore at the wrapping. A brown teddy bear smiled at him. "A teddy bear?" asked Octavian. "A teddy bear? How come?"

"Because I thought you would want one," said Nalla. "Isn't his smile cute?"

Truthfully, Octavian _hated_ teddy bears. He had not slept with one since he was five. He was too old for teddy bears now, but once again, he felt a tingly sensation around his mouth. "It has such a cute smile!"

"Well, do you like it?" asked Nalla.

"I like it!" said Octavian.

"Good," said Nalla, obviously pleased. She hesitated for a minute, and said, "Octavian, I love you."

When she kissed her, his world spun around. "Good luck on your quest, Octavian," said Nalla. She turned around and left.

**To the anonymous reviewer who reviewed, I can't tell you what parings I support without giving away the plot, but I'm glad you reviewed. Also, if you want to visit my poll on favorite O.C characters, it is on my profile. Bye! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Journey begins

Octavian raced up the Field of Mars. His heart was still pounding from Nalla's kiss. He still felt like he was about to float away on air. Nalla had kissed him. She had kissed him.

"Octavian?" asked Marco. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah..." he murmured, still in a trance from Nalla's kiss.

"What's up with him?" asked Cesar.

Marco grinned. "Oh, he's been kissed by a girl, Cesar. Nothing to worry about."

Cesar frowned. "What?"

"Anyways, we have to get as close to Minnesota as possible before taking a..." Marco shuddered, "...A plane."

"So, the Zumbro river is in Minnesota?" asked Octavian.

"Which you would have noticed if you had paid attention at the meeting," Marco pointed out.

Octavian blushed. "Um... so are we gonna hitchhike?"

"Not exactly," said Marco.

A few minutes later, Octavian was in the trunk of a car. The owners were going to Illinois, according to Marco's logic. Illinois was on their license plate.

"Um... Marco, what if it's going to Florida or something?" asked Octavian.

"This will work, trust me," said Marco.

The owners got in the car and music started up. It was cranked up to near brain damage level. Octavian usually appreciated music, but this was pushing it.

"At least we can talk in private," said Marco.

"Can you tell us about Scylla and Charybdis?" asked Cesar. "And why can't Neptune go and kill them for us?"

"Well, to give you the short version, Scylla is a monster with six heads. Charybdis is a monster that drinks three times a day. Long story how they got that way, but last time, they were killed by Hercules. Both of them." Marco held out a book. "I'm not sure how Hercules Killed them, but I have this book. It tells about Ulysses, who met both of these monsters."

"So..." said Octavian. "You think we can figure out a way to kill them using this book?"

"Yep," said Marco. "Pretty much."

"Why couldn't Neptune kill them?" asked Cesar. "I mean, he's a god, right?"

"Neptune killed them as soon as he discovered they were in that river. They came back, however. He thinks if they were to be killed by a demigod, like last time, they would stay in Tarturs longer," answered Marco

"Okay," said Octavian. "Do we have a deadline?"

Cesar nodded. "Memorial day. It's the beginning of camping season in Minnesota. Campgrounds are usually packed that day. Trouble for the mortals. They go tubing in the Zumbro. And swimming."

"Oh..." said Octavian. "There's a campground on the Zumbro river?"

"Wow, Octavian. You really weren't paying attention." said Cesar.

"Well..." muttered Octavian. "I was..."

"Never mind that," said Marco. "We should talk strategy."

"I'm too hungry to talk strategy," complained Cesar. "Can we eat?"

"Alright. I guess we can eat." said Marco. "Break out your granola bar stash, Octavian."

"What stash?" asked Octavian. "I don't have a stash of anything in the front pocket of my backpack, especially a granola bar stash!"

Marco rolled his eyes. Octavian divided 6 of his stash of 30 between Cesar and Marco.

**Sorry for not updating in a while. Anyways, bye!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Nalla's letter

Octavian was on watch, and he was board. He dug through Cesar's backpack. Sure enough, Cesar had packed a flashlight. Octavian figured it was time to read Nalla's letter. Carefully, he extracted the letter from the envelope and turned on the flashlight to read.

"Dear Nalla,

How are things? I trust they are going well. If you need anything, just ask. Your sister Greta will help you.

Your family."

It was only four sentences, but it raised many questions for Octavian. First off, if Reyna was correct, Nalla had no family. If that was true, then why would the letter be signed that way? Also, the "sister" the letter had the same name as Marco's old girlfriend, Greta Walters. It could have been coincidental, but he didn't think so. He considered telling Marco about the letter, but decided against it. Marco would not take well to the news, and it would probably keep him awake all night. On the other hand, the letter was doing a wonderful job of keeping Octavian awake.

Marco woke up, breathing hard. He looked over at Octavian and said, "You know what, let me take over the watch. I don't think I can sleep anymore."

"Sure," said Octavian. He turned off the flashlight, pocketed the letter, and lied down. He thought he would never go to sleep, but the instant he closed his eyes, he started to dream.

He was in a house. Nalla and another woman with flowing black hair were baking something. Nalla seemed to be in a mood, with a frown so deep it seemed it would stay forever.

"Dawn, why does everyone make fun of me?" asked Nalla.

"I don't know, honey," said Dawn. "People do lots of things they know aren't right. Besides, there is no shame in having an adopted mother."

"I know," said Nalla. "I don't mind, but people won't leave me alone! Except for Dakota. He doesn't mind."

"Honey," said Dawn. "Sometimes, one friend is enough."

"But now people think we're a couple or something, which we're not!" Nalla said.

There was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," said Nalla. It was Dakota.

"We have that science project, remember?" said Dakota.

"Oh yeah," said Nalla. "Let me get my coat,"

"Be careful, you two," said Dawn. "It's really icy out, and cars might have trouble stopping. Make sure to look both ways when crossing the street!"

Nalla rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dawn."

"Of course we will," said Dakota.

The two were soon walking on a sidewalk. Octavian could see the library was only about a block away from Nalla's house. _Cynthia would love a library that close, _he thought. He also saw cars having trouble staying in a straight line. Dawn was right about it being icy.

"Oi, it's Nalla and Dakota!" someone said.

Nalla and Dakota stopped walking.

"Nalla and Dakota sitting in a tree..." someone else sang.

"Look, we're not a couple!" said Nalla.

"Stop singing that!" said Dakota.

Octavian saw two boys across the street, laughing at Dakota and Nalla.

"But you are, aren't you?" said the first boy.

"Of course they are!" said the second boy. "Why would they be walking together, hm?"

Dakota's face turned purple with rage. "I am _DONE_ with you guys!" he bellowed. He started to walk across the street, swinging his arms like he was looking for a fight.

"Dakota, they're not worth it!" said Nalla. "Come back!"

Dakota didn't seem to hear her. He was halfway across the street now.

Nalla's face suddenly paled. "DAKOTA!" she shrieked.

The boys were yelling at Dakota too. "RUN OVER HERE! HURRY!"

Dakota stopped walking. "Why?" he asked.

"DAKOTA, TO YOUR RIGHT!" Nalla screamed.

Dakota turned to his right, and Octavian could see the fear in his eyes right before the truck hit him, sending him flying backwards, hitting the pavement hard.

"DAKOTA!" Nalla yelled, running over. The truck driver stopped his truck and got out of the car, cursing. One of the boys ran for a blue house and knocked on the door. The other pulled out his cell phone.

Dakota looked horrible. His eyes were rolled into the back of his head and blood was slowly filling the pavement around his head. A woman in a bathrobe ran over to him. "Dakota, stay awake honey! Ohpleasepleaseohplease no..." she moaned.

Octavian guessed the lady was Dakota's mom. She buried her face in her hands. Octavian was no healer, but he knew Dakota was dying, maybe already dead. Octavian woke up as the ambulance drove up.

**Hi, everyone. Sorry for not updating in a while. I was just waiting for a review or two. It's okay though. I can never figure out what to say in a review, either. So, I just thought I'd give the current poll results now. **

**Remus and Cesar with two votes each.**

**Marco, Helena, Shaun, Nalla, and Cynthia with one vote each.**

**Everyone else with zero.**

**So, bye!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Hans

Octavian was feeling groggy as Marco shock him awake. The dream had made him question something, though. How in Pluto was Dakota still alive?

"Octavian, we need to leave NOW," said Marco.

"Huh... what?" asked Octavian.

Suddenly, Marco dragged him out of the trunk and shoved him under the car. "What...?" asked Octavian, before Marco landed on top of him. Octavian could hear two people talking.

"And the Golden Gate bridge..." said one voice, a lady. "Magnificent!"

"Yes," said a man's voice. Octavian could hear the trunk being opened. _Good thing we aren't in it,_ he thought.

"How long until Florida, my dear?" asked the woman.

"Oh, a while," he said. Octavian swore he heard them kissing. "For now, let us rest in this hotel."

Octavian heard the footsteps retreating. After a few seconds, Marco dropped off of him. Octavian rolled over in relief and stood up. "My face was in your _podex_, Marco! Next time, give me more waring, please?" he said.

"Sorry, Octavian," said Marco. "I tried."

"So what now?" asked Cesar.

"Well," said Marco. "We hitchhike."

-Line-break-

Octavian was hungry. It was almost noon, and nobody had picked them up. Octavian, however, had learned some very colorful words that day.

"Bah," said Marco. "If this keeps up, I'll see about getting us a plane."

"Really?" asked Cesar. "You're that desperate?"

"Time is of the essence, the sooner the better," he said.

"True," said Cesar.

Just as Octavian was about to ask for lunch, a car pulled up and lowered its windows. In it was a muscular man with curly brown hair. "You kids need a ride?"

"Um, yes," said Cesar.

"Show me your arm, kid," said the man.

Cesar looked at him strangely. "What?"

The man shock his head and started to roll up his window.

"Wait!" Octavian said. "Senatus Populus Romanus!"

The window went the other way. "Demigods, ay? Well, come on in. Where to?"

Cesar, Octavian, and Marco got in the car. "Minnesota," said Marco. "If you can get us there."

"Can't do that, but I can take you to my house for the night, maybe help you out with travel plans. I do have connections, being the former praetor of New Rome."

Marco looked at his companions. "Why not?" asked Cesar. "It would be a big help."

Octavian shrugged. "As long as he doesn't come with on the quest."

The man looked offended. "Why not?"

"Because," said Octavian. "It's traditional."

The man laughed. "Ah, you remind me of August." he sighed, lost in memories.

Octavian froze. "You mean Augustus Ryan Carver?" he asked, shocked.

The man's eyebrows shot up. "You know him?" he asked. "He used to be one of my best friends."

"He is...well was...my father," said Octavian.

"Oh!" said the man. "You must be Octavian." He gave a smile. "Ah yes, August wrote about you a lot in his letters. That, and the weather," he sighed, "Although, I've told him a billion times I know what it usually is. My computer tells me everyday."

"So...what's your name?" asked Octavian. "I don't remember my dad mentioning you."

"Hans," said the man. "Hans Burlap. Pleased to meet you."

"My name's Cesar," said Cesar.

"My name's Marco, and I remember you!" said Marco. "We learned all about the best Roman praetors in history class!"

Hans blushed. "Ah...well...I wouldn't call myself one of the best...but yea. I did make some pretty important decisions. Like..." he shook his head. "Real important decisions," he murmured, lost in thought once more.

Octavian was confused, but Marco and Cesar nodded, as if they understood completely. Octavian thought it was best not to ask further.

Soon, the car pulled into the driveway of a house. Hans got out of the car and opened the door to the house. "Just pick a room, any room. Except the one closest to the stairs. That one's mine."

The three boys did what he asked.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Han's house

Marco and Cesar disappeared into the rooms next to Hans'. Octavian went into the room right across from his.

It was an interesting room. Green wallpaper covered the walls. A bed with a white quilt sat in the middle of the room. However, the bed was unmade. The entire room looked surprisingly dirty for a guest room, at least according to Octavian. There was paper everywhere.

"Ah," murmured Hans, so quietly Octavian could hardly hear him. "I see you found the room your dad used to stay in when he was here."

"Why haven't you cleaned it?" asked Octavian.

"Well...that's a good question, Octavian," said Hans. "I really don't know."

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Octavian asked, "Is there another room I could borrow?" As much as he loved his father, he didn't want to spend the night in a dead person's bed.

Hans nodded in understanding. "Next door," he said.

Octavian left the room. The other guest room was much fancier, with brown velvet curtains and a red bedspread. Octavian set down his backpack and took another look at the letter Nalla had received.

"Dear Nalla,

How are things? I trust they are going well. If you need anything, just ask. Your sister Greta will help you.

Your family."

Octavian remembered Greta. She had been a daughter of Pluto, who was also considered bad luck. Unlike Marco, however, she didn't hide the identity of her father. Marco had fallen head over heels for her honesty and her auburn hair, tied up in a ponytail. Octavian could see the attraction, but she was a daughter of Pluto, the god of death, one of Octavian's least favorite gods. He, like most of the twelve legion, wanted nothing to do with her.

Marco didn't care about Greta's status in the legion. He had even stood for her when no one else would. She soon started courting him, and Marco couldn't have been happier. Unfortunately, their romance was not meant to last.

When Greta had been accepted as a full member of the legion, she was soon chosen to go on a dangerous quest. Out of the three who went, one came back. And she wasn't Greta.

Octavian could smell something good cooking downstairs. He went down to investigate, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

When Octavian entered the kitchen, he saw a large roast ham. It looked freshly cooked too.

Marco and Cesar were already there, eating the ham. Octavian cast a glance over to Hans. "It's like you knew we were coming," he said, giving him an accusing look.

Hans shrugged. "I make more than I can eat all the time, in case demigods come. I save what I don't eat for leftovers for the next week or so. Demigods come here very often. Besides, I want to be like my mother and always have plenty."

Octavian sat down to eat the ham. It was one of the most tender hams he had eaten in a long while. "So, who's your mother?" he asked.

"Pomona," Hans said. "Godess of plenty."

"Oh!" said Octavian, raising his eyebrows. He had never heard of a child of a minor god becoming praetor. Hans must've been a very good fighter to acheve such a status.

"Not my fighting skills," said Hans, reading Octavian's thoughts. "My intelect."

"I never payed much attention in history," Octavian confessed.

"You really need to pay attention more," said Cesar. "I saw you off in lala land during the senete meething."

"That...was different..." Octavian murmered. He couldn't explain to his friends exactly what had happened the day his father died. Not yet, anyway.

"I see no difference, Octavian," said Cesar. "Unless-"

Cesar was suddenly interupted by a loud noise. It sounded like wing flapping. "What's that?" he asked.

Hans looked out of the window and swore. "It's a flock of grythins!"

**A/N: Wow...four months. And you though I left this story out to die. I just was stuck for an idea. Really. I was also planning for maybe some possible sequels. Anyways, sorry for the long wait. Next chapter is much more action packed, I hope.**

**I also noticed an error when I got my own copy of the book. I used Legion when I should have used corhort. I will fix this from now on, and maybe sometime in the future the previous chapters. So, anyways, review if you like! **


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